Losing weight can be a necessity due to medical conditions like high blood pressure, or a desire to be physically attractive, or a commitment to being healthy. Whatever the reason, you should lose weight in a healthy manner and under proper supervision. Consult your doctor before beginning a weight-loss program. A doctor will be able to assess your overall health, make proper recommendations on ways to lose weight and suggest how much weight to lose. Some ways to lose weight that a doctor might suggest are dieting, exercise and reducing stress.
Dieting
The term dieting doesn't refer to a fad diet that you see advertised. It refers to what and how much food you consume. To lose weight, you must monitor the amount and types of calories you're consuming. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM, you must decrease your calories by 3,500 per week to lose 1 pound of fat in a week. To accomplish this caloric reduction, reduce the amount of calories you're consuming daily by replacing unhealthy high-fat foods lwith healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are great sources of essential vitamins and minerals, low in calories and provide a variety of choices.
Avoid alcohol consumption, high-fat items such as greasy foods, foods with empty calories like soda, foods high in sugar like candy and foods high in cholesterol or sodium. These foods lead to a higher caloric intake. A reduction of unhealthy foods and the implementation of healthier foods will reduce the amount of calories you consume, which can lead to weight loss.
Physically Active
In addition to dieting, you must be physically active. Being physically active not only assists in weight loss through the burning of calories, but it also helps to prevent health conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The ACSM and the American Heart Association, AHA, recommend that people do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week or vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day for 3 days a week. In addition to cardio, 8 to 10 strength training exercises, of 8 to 12 repetitions per exercise, should be done twice a week. These recommendations are just to stay healthy and prevent the previously mentioned health conditions. To lose weight or maintain weight loss, the ACSM and AHA recommend 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity 3 to 5 days per week, depending on intensity level.
Reduce Stress
Stress management can play a major role in weight loss. Stress can prevent individuals from eating healthy by either eating poorly or too much food and can disrupt sleep, which can lead to a decrease in physical activity due to tiredness. In extreme cases, stress can cause someone to be prescribed medications like Zolof or Prozac, which have potential side effects of weight gain.
Other Lifestyle Changes
In addition to the previously mentioned ways to lose weight, there are other lifestyle changes that you can make to lose weight. Developing a support network of friends or family members can help you lose weight through motivation and accountability. Getting involved in leisure activities like bike riding, nature walks, golf or hiking are not only fun but they will keep you physically active, which helps to burn calories. Lastly, you should practice positive thinking, believing that you can make these changes and lose weight. Negative thinking can cause individuals to give up in their efforts to lose weight.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Stress Management
- "American College of Sports Medicine Resources for the Personal Trainer", 2007
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